Cyborg microchip valve driven by earthworm muscle


This earthworm muscle-controlled biological microelectromechanical system (bio‐MEMS) could lead the way to next-generation medical implants.

Crying baby? Science says walk, then sit


Recipe for success: Walk 5 min, sit 8 min, lay no-longer-crying baby down. Now you can relax.

Heat shock system helps dried up bug come back to life


An international collaboration has determined that cooption of the Heat Shock Factor (HSF) gene system is what allows larvae of the sleeping chironomid to be able to survive severe desiccation.

Stem cell exhaustion and proliferation: An aging fly’s tale


Blocking the gene ced-6 led to stem cell exhaustion in aging fruit flies and prevented repair of damaged intestines.

Eve Marder: freeing knowledge, crashing neurons


None of us would get on a plane that had its parts changed in mid-air, says Eve Marder, who has spent her career probing a very specific cluster of crustacean nerve cells. Yet we are all walking around undergoing a constant turnover of cellular parts, and so are the lobsters and crabs Marder studies.

Brainless memory makes the spinal cord smarter than previously thought


The spinal cord learns how to direct limb muscles to avoid aversive sensations and recalls the memories using separate neural circuitry. Oh, and without a brain!

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Transgenic plants ??on acid survive without water


Scientists designed transgenic plants that survive drought-like conditions by bumping up acetic acid production only when water is scarce.

Electric rays to help us map the ocean floor


Electric rays and sting rays could map the ocean floor through their natural behavior, helping us find resources and collect data on other ocean life.

RIKEN Research Spring issue is here


Just a quick post to let you know that the Spring issue of RIKEN Research Magazine came out towards the end of March. This issue covers issues including the discovery of element 113, earth-friendly pesticides, and the secrets of a rice-killing fungal toxin. Enjoy!

A researcher’s journey part 2: emotional memory and being human


Joshua Johansen from RIKEN CBS explains emotional memory, what his lab is doing, and what makes a good researcher.

Pulses of light can enhance superconductivity


Pulses of light could be used to turn materials into superconductors through an unconventional type of superconductivity.

Hepatoma (liver cancer) blocked by a sugar look-a-like


A sugar (fucose) analog can prevent liver cancer (hepatoma) from invading healthy liver cells.

Eating a high fat diet without getting obese?


Scientists discover that without innate immune cells in the intestines, eating a high fat diet does not lead to obesity in mice.

Diazoxide pills for Alzheimer’s disease?


Drug therapy with with diazoxide relieved symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice and improved memory.

Introducing Nikola, the emotional android boy


A new android named Nikola will help researchers study facial expressions, emotions, and social interactions.

Artificial gravity protects the immune system of mice in space


Mice who experienced artificial gravity on the ISS suffered less damage to their immune system (thymus) than weightless mice did.